Humane Society of Huron Valley to hold free pet vaccine clinic in Manchester in May

submitted by Alicia Curley, Friends for Life Program Coordinator

The Humane Society of Huron Valley’s newest program, Friends for Life, is hosting a free dog and cat vaccine clinic on Saturday, May 4, at Manchester United Methodist Church located at 501 Ann Arbor St. Friends for Life’s goal is to help protect the bond between people and their companion animals, particularly for seniors and others struggling to care for their pet.

This clinic will take place from 10am to 4pm. We recommend arriving early to get on the waitlist. Waitlist cut-off time is 3:30pm or sooner as determined by capacity. We will do our best to keep everyone informed. Pre-registration for the vaccine clinic opens in April. Walk-ins are welcome at the clinic site on May 4. Vaccines are first come, first served. Please note, due to high demand, we anticipate long wait times, especially in the morning.

This free vaccine clinic is for dog and cat owners in Washtenaw County who:

• Are seniors or
• Are facing housing insecurity or
• Qualify for low-income services or
• Are experiencing extreme financial difficulty 

Services available for dogs include rabies — 1-year or 3-year (3-year with proof of previous vaccination); distemper — booster, annual, or 3-year, depending on age and previous vaccine history (covers distemper, hepatitis, parvo virus, and parainfluenza), and 24PetWatch Microchip ID.

Services available for cats include rabies — 1-year or 3-year (3-year with proof of previous vaccination), distemper — booster, annual, or 3-year, depending on age and previous vaccine history (covers feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia), and 24PetWatch Microchip ID. 

Vaccination clinics can be difficult for animals who are nervous, anxious, or aggressive in new or high-activity environments, or who don’t like to be around other pets or people. If your dog or cat is not able to be handled safely, or your dog is not treatable or is sick, pregnant, or has other health issues, services are not able to be provided.

You’ll check in upon arrival, then our team will instruct you to stay in your car (or in the designated waiting area if on foot) until it is your turn. Vaccines will be administered outside under the covered awnings or inside the church in a secure room (per the discretion of our veterinary staff). To allow us to help as many dogs and cats as we can, as safely and as stress-free as possible, please do not approach the entrance of the building until it is your turn and follow all instructions provided by staff and volunteers.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to make vaccination time even faster for you and your pets. Pre-registration opens in April and will be accessible at hshv.org/freeclinic. IMPORTANT NOTE: Pre-registration is NOT an appointment time. If you pre-register, you will still need to sign-up for our queue and wait in line when you arrive at the clinic site.

Please bring any proof of previous vaccination with you. If you’re an HSHV clinic client, please call (734) 662-4365 the week before to receive up-to-date vaccine records via email. All dogs must be on a non-retractable leash and all cats must be in a carrier. For safety purposes, social distancing is required. Please clean up after your dog. In the event of severe weather, the clinic may be cancelled. Refer to www.hshv.org/FriendsforLife for more information.

Please be advised that if your dog or cat is not able to be handled safely, or your pet is not treatable or is sick, pregnant, or has other health issues, services are not able to be provided. Additionally, you may be asked to schedule an outpatient appointment during our regular business hours so that we can better service your pet. If your pet has previously had an adverse effect in response to vaccination, please call our clinic for an appointment.

This clinic, by law, does not meet the criteria for a “veterinary exam” and does not count as one. If your pet needs a full exam, but there are financial issues that make this challenging, please talk to a team member about ways we can help make things work for you and your pet.

It’s important to provide regular, basic wellness services for your pets to protect them from unnecessary illnesses. That’s why the Humane Society of Huron Valley’s Friends for Life program is offering free dog and cat vaccines for Washtenaw County pet owners in need. Many thanks to the Buhr family and the Banfield Foundation for funding this event and to the Manchester United Methodist Church for being our gracious host.

For more information on Friends for Life: hshv.org/FriendsforLife

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.